Email marketing for beginners: how to reach more customers with less effort
June 2025 - E-mail is still one of the most cost-effective marketing channels - especially for SMEs. It's personal, inexpensive and allows you to directly reach people who have already shown interest in your brand. And no, you don't need to be a marketer or techie to get started. This basic guide will get you started easily and efficiently.
1. Build a mailing list (legal and smart)
Start collecting e-mail addresses from customers and interested parties. This should only be done with their permission, so use a subscription form on your website or a checkbox at checkout. Reward subscribers with a discount or free tip guide if necessary. Never use purchased lists - this is not only inefficient, but also illegal (GDPR).
2. Choose a user-friendly email platform
Tools like Mailchimp, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), MailerLite or Spotler are ideal for beginners. They offer templates, automation, segmentation and statistics. Most have a free entry-level platform, ideal for testing.
3. Define your goal and frequency
What do you want to achieve with your mailings? More sales? Website visitors? Brand awareness? Choose a clear objective and factor it into your content. For example, start with a monthly newsletter or a seasonal promotion. Don't promise to mail too often if you can't keep it up.
4. Make it relevant and valuable
The golden rule: give more than you ask for. Add value - a tip, an inspiration image, a customer story - instead of just selling. Good emails are short, personal, and invite action (a click, a purchase, a response...).
5. Personalise where possible
Use first names in the salutation, refer to previous purchases or interests, and segment your list. A customer who already bought something will preferably receive different info than a new subscriber. The more personalised, the better the response.
6. Analyse and learn
After each mailing, look at your figures: how many people opened the mail? How many clicked through? What worked well? This is how you improve your approach step by step.
Conclusion? E-mail marketing does not have to be complicated. With a good tool, a clear focus and valuable content, you as an SME can easily build a strong relationship with your customers - and with minimal time investment.
